>> well, thank you so much, general spider marks, oren lieberman. it looks like the ceremony is about to start. we're going to hand the reins over to alisyn camerota and victor blackwell to take it from here. hello, everyone. thanks for joining me on "newsroom." cdc advisers are set to decide this hour possible changes in guidance for the j&j covid vaccine, after rates of a rare blood clotting condition were higher than previously thought. the biggest news is the omicron variant, this appears to be on its way to the dominant variant in the u.s. new covid cases and hospitalizations are rising sharply. research are saying omicron is markedly recessant to the four major vaccines. now some colleges are going virtual for the rest of the semester. sports teams are postponing games. broadway shows are getting cancelled. cnn's nick watt has all the details ♪ you're simply the best ♪ >> reporter: "tina" among the brought way shows cancelling, just two months after reopening. princeton and nyu just joined cornell and others removing what's level of the semester back online. a depressing dose of deja vu. officials in philly are warning don't parties with people outside your household. >> it feels unfair. these gatherings when we get together with friends and family are when you infect each other. >> reporter: pro sports teams demonstrating how the virus is spreading, odebt beckel, jr., scored monday night, next morning quarantining after exp exposure. >> kudos to the sports leagues. they are actually doing a fantastic job of surveillance testing. in the rest of the country we're driving the car down a dark road with the headlights off. >> reporter: covid-19 cases and hospitalizations climbed around 40% this past month. deaths, says the cdc, forecast to rise in the month ahead. the delta variant still rampant. omicron on the rise. >> very soon it's going to be the dominant variant. we have seen that in south africa. we're seeing it in the uk. i'm absolutely certain that's what we'll be seeing here relatively soon. >> reporter: no need for am on chron-specific booster, but this variant is now the most complete escapee, say. >> reporter:ers. those vaccines are still highly effective from prehaven'ting severe disease or death. >> it's reassure that the infections seem to be less severe. that's really only true, probably if you're a healthy person who's been immunized, ideally immunized with three shots. our health care system has, again the potential to be really overwhelmed. >> reporter: alisyn, you mentioned that cdc advisers are meeting right now to talk about the very rare blood clots associated with the johnson & johnson vaccine. a work group with the cdc advisers is suggesting that the cdc should make what they call a preferential recommendation for the mrna vaccines, over the johnson & johnson, for certain groups of people most at risk for those clots. all of these advisers still need to vote. we expect that may happen within the hour, and of course the cdc director would need to sign off on anything that they might vote on. alisyn? >> okay. nick watt, we'll be keep an eye on all of that. thank you. joining us to help sort through some of this confusion, is dr. shatner. always great to see you. we need help understanding what to do about omicron, which is fast becoming so if omicron is much more transmissible, is less severe than previous variants, at the moment, we think, what does that mean for christmas? should we? can we be get together with our vaccinated loved ones? or do you not recommend that? >> alisyn, i would recommend we hang our stockings with care. i think we have to be careful. if we're all going to get together, we should all be vaccinated, and prefer referenceally boosted. we should wear or masks if we're uncertain, and another thing we can do is we could all get tested the morning of our getting together. we did that at our house over thanksgiving, because we had a member who had a very serious condition that put them at risk of very severe disease, should they get infected. we have all negative. it worked out just fine. >> that's a little easier said than done, dr. schaffner. it's not that easy to get those rapid at-home tests still. >> you're exactly correct. it's not a panacea, but it's something that some people can certainly think about. i would say if you're going to any group event indoors, whether vaccinated or not, please wear user mask. yes, i join the chorus of everyone saying vaccination, vaccination, vaccination. bring those children in age 5 and old ir. if you haven't gotten your booster and ear eligible, run, do not walk and gets vaccinated. >> next pressing question, air travel. is it time to rethink masks on airplanes? we heard from the ceos of some major airlines, that's what they were saying yesterday. let me play for you what they think. >> yeah, i think the case is very strong that masks don't add much, if anything, in the air cabin environment. it's very safe and high quality compared to any other indoor setting. >> i agree, it's the safest place you can be. >> is that true, doctor? >> i would disagree. air on airport is very discrete and goes through filters. however, in the past we've had people with tuberculosis on airplanes, and it infected people. effectively two rows forward of you and two rows back. i've been on a plane a couple times. there were people coughing and sneezing across the aisle, another could is in front of me. on both occasions, i came home and within 48 hours, i became ill. i wish those folks were wearing masks, and i wish i had been wearing one also. i think we all to keep wearing masks on airplanes. >> i in fact have this question. if you get a mild case of covid, can you still get what's known as long covid? or is that really just for people who have, you known, gotten a severe version of it? >> cases of long covid have occurred after people having had only a mild covid infection that's yet another reason to vaccinate, particularly children. they are less apt to get severe disease, of course, but we also want to prevent long covid in those children. >> that leads us to the next question. children under 5 who cannot get vaccinated. their parents are particularly concerned. can parents with kids until 5, is it a good idea for them to get together with loved ones, should they be exposing their kids under 5 to groups like that? >> or exposing the groups to children under 5, who may be bringing the virus with them. remember the children's table? >> dr. schaffner, i'm so sorry to interrupt. we have to get to president biden, who is awarding the medal of honor to three soldiers. >> this is an appropriate backdrop, abu our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for the courage, and gallantry. it's just hard to explain where the soldiers got the courage they got. late sergeant first-class alwyn cashe. late sergeant first-class chris christopher solis, sergeant first-class plumblee. i want to thank all of our distinguished guesses here today, the chairman of the joint chiefs, the secretary of the -- secretary austin, the listed adviser, colin lopez, the leaders of the united states army, and the vice president of the united states and the second gentleman. i'm jill's husband. jill is here. [ laughter ] >> as we add these three names, i want to req knights the previous recipients who are here today. matthew, if you would stand up, please. thomas payne. and edward biers. each of you know what it means to stare down danger. we're grateful for all you three have done, so many more. the family of sergeant first-class alwyn cashe. this has been 16 years in coming. representative, thank you for your efforts along with the team, and sergeant cashe's commanders, commander in arms, his medical team and the family, who worked with such dedication over so many years to make this recognition possible. okay 17 sergeant cashest was commanding a bradley fighting vehicle on night patrol in iraq. they came under enemy fire. an improvised explosive device ignited the vehicle. the sergeant extracted himself, without hesitation turned back to twinge wish the flames on the driver. in the process, sergeant first-class cashe's uniform dredge drenched in fuel caught fire causing extreme burns. he thought only of his fellow soldiers trapped in the troop compartment. he returned to the burning vehicle and pulled four soldiers free, four more. at this point, the second and third-degree burns covering almost 75% of his body, his uniform mostly burned away, he saw there were still two soldiers and their interpreteren accounted for. he went back for a third time and got everyone out of that inferno. that was his code, love for the 3rd infantry ran deep. no soldier was left behind on his watch. when the helicopters began to arrive, he insisted his troops be evacuated before he would go, later at the hospital in texas where his and other members of his team were taken. when he regained the ability to speak, he asked first thing, how are my boys? how are my boys? alwyn cashe was a soldier's soldier. he literally walked through fire for his troops. he succumbed to his injuries november 8th, 2005, surrounded by those he loved and those who loved him. his wall street a hero, a proud husband and father of three children. sergeant cashe and his family gave everything, the devotion to his memory, and years working to make sure his courage and selflessness was documented and honored. sergeant first-clash cashe is now the seventh individual to receive a medal of honor for his actions in "operation iraqi freedom" and the first black american to receive it since the vietnam war. i'm so honored to award your husband, your dad, your brother the recognition he earned. i know it's tough. as honored as you are, it's got to be tough to be here today. he'll be remembered forever. sergeant first-class christopher celiz was an army ranger, through and through, with 175, the rangers lead the way. on july 12th, 2018, nears the end of a fifth deemployment, a fifth deemployment, he was leading an operation in the patika province of afghanistan, not a very friendly place, to clear the area of enemy forces. attacked and pinned down by a large force, the sergeant exposed himself to enemy fire in order to retrieve a heavy weapons system that allowed his team to fight back and reach a secure location. during the fire fight, a member of his team was critically wounded. as they called for medical evacuation, as the rescue helicopter ri6d and began taking fire as well, the sergeant knew time was critical to get his teammate loaded and treated. he once again nosingly and willingly stepped to the crosshairs. he used his body as a she'll for the aircraft and crew against the incoming fire. he butt himself directly between the cockpit and enemy, ensure the enemy could depart, and sustaining what could prove to be a mortal wound. he knew he was hit, but waited for the aircrew to depart without him. in the face of extreme danger, he placed the safety of his team and his crew above his own. i can offer no better encapsulation of the words of the u.s. army ambulance pilot in command that day. he said, quote -- courage to me is putting your life on the line to save the life of another, as demonstrated by sergeant first class chris celiz, who died protecting my crew. end of quote. christopher celiz was courage made flesh. today we add his name to the lead vanguard of american warriors who generation after generation have strengthened and inspired our nation with their unwavering bravely and service. his legacy lives on and the lives he saved, the teammates they mentored, the memories he made with his beloved wife katie and especially their precious daughter shannon. thank you for sharing your dad with our country, shannon. we'll never forget the debt we owe you and your whole family. august 28th, 2013, then staff sergeant earl plumlee, was snapping a quick photo with his forward unit in afghanistan. then insurgents turned out debt nailed a car bomb that blew open a 60-foot-wide breach in the perimeter wall. they needily hopped in a nearby truck, raced toward the blast to defend the base. when they arrived, they encountered insurgents running through the wall, all carrying explosive vests. our troops started taking rocket fire and small arms fire. while the driver of their truck drew into the line to shield members of the attempt outthe vehicle. the staff sergeant used his own body to shield the driver. he left whatever cover the truck provided, and began to invade t -- engage the invaders. at times only armed with a pistol, he took them on one by one. time and again, bullets flew by sometimes only inches away, and time and again staff sergeant plumlee closed with the enemy. on multiple occasion during the fight the insurgents debt nailed their vests right in front of the plumlee. at one point hurling him into a wall and injuring his back. when a fellow soldier was extreme lie wounded, he carried him to safe and administered tactical character combat care before returning to the fight. ultimately he organized three soldiers to clear the area and gain the security posture. his heroic actions in the leadership gained the recognition of some of our highest military commanders, including a man who knows a bit about ballots, the chairman of our join chiefs, general milley and general mcconville, who are here today to honor him as well. they saw extraordinary bravery when then staff sergeant plumlee did and understood the worst outcome he prevented. now, master sergeant plumlee has this recognition that has been too long in coming, delayed for you and your family as well. no one, no one will ever forget how you sprang into action when the enemy attacked our base. i'm grateful for your continued service and dedication to the country. that goes for your typhoon terry, and attorney lilly -- lincoln as well. it's the whole family that serves. the missed holidays, the empty chairs, the missed celebrations, the way you give back to the community. john milton once wrote -- they also serve who only stand and way. well, today we honor three outstanding soldiers whose actions embody the highest ideals of selfless service. we also remember the high price our military members and families are willing to pay on behalf of our nation. we remember the strength and the sacrifices of thinks military families, caregivers and survivors. we remember and renew our sacred obligation to those who serve. as a nation we have many obligations to our children, the elderly, those in need, but we have one truly sacred operation, to properly prepare and equip those we send into harm's way, care for their families while they're deployed and when they return. that commitment never expires. as commander in chief, i promise it's a commitment we will keep. so god bless you all, and may god protect the troops who are out there right now. now it's my great honor for the citations to be read, and award the medals to sergeant first class cashest, sergeant first class celiz. >> will the cashe family please join the president on stage? attention to orders. the president of the united states of america authorized by act of congress march 3rd, 1863, has posthumously the medal of honor to sergeant first-class for above and beyond the call of duty. zgt first clays alwyn cashe above and beyond the call of duty as platoon sergeant with company a, first batallion, 3rd infantry, in iraq, on october 17th, 2005. while on a night time patrol, the bradley fighting vehicle which sergeant cashe was commanding was attacked but small fire, and an explosive device which disabled the vehicle and engulfed it in flames. after extracting himself from the vehicle. he set about extracting the driver who was trabd in the vehicle. they extracted the driver, who was engulfed in the flames. during the course of twinge wishing the flames, and extracting him from the vehicle, sergeant first-class cashe's uniform was soaked by fuel. he continued to aid his fellow soldiers. at this time, the enemy noted his movements and began to direct their fire on his position. when another element of the company engaged the enemy. he seized opportunity and aided four of his soldiers in escape the burning vehicle. he then noticed two other soldiers who had not been accounted for. again, he enters the building to retrieve them. reinforcement arrived. despite the severe second and third-degree burns covering the jersey of his body, he persevered through the pain to encourage his fellow soldiers and ensured they received medical care. when the hell coppest breath gan to arrive, he selflessly refused evacuation until the others were rescued. hi selfishness above and beyond the call of duty in keeping with the highest traditions of military, himself, his unit and the aunts army, signed joseph r. biden, the president of the united states. will the celiz family please accompany the president? attention to orders. the president of the united states of america, thor iced by act of congress march 3rd, 1863, has awarded the medal of honor sergeant first-class celis for conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty. he distinguished himself by spinously above and beyond the call of duty while engaged with the enemy. as a leader of special purpose comprised the partner forces, the 75th ranger -- he led an operation to clear the area of enemy forces, thereby disrupt future attacks, and allied forces. shortly after his team reached the final objectives a large enemy force attacked, preventing them from maneuvering to counter-attack. realizing the danger, sergeant first-class celiz voluntarily exposed himself to the intense fire to retrieve a heavy defense systems. and began treatment of a wounded member. as a medical evacuation helicopters arrived, it was pleadly engaged by acrand and sustained fire. sergeant celiz willingly exposed him to have to direct fire, as they moved from a position of cover, sergeant first-class celiz made a conscious effort to work as a shield to the crew of the aircraft. as the casualty was loaded, and sergeant c. liz debt remained at the aircraft. constantly repositioning himself to as a physical shield to the aircraft and hits crew. with his final reposition, he placed himself directly between the cockpit and the enemy. as the helicopter lifted off he was hit by enemy fire. fully aware of hits own injury, but understanding the parity to the aircraft from the intense machine gun fire, he motioned to the aircraft to depart rather than to remain be hind to load him. himselfless action almost certainly prevented further casualties. sergeant first sxwlas celiz selfless were in keeping with the highest traditions of service and and his signed joseph r. biden, the president of the united states . master plumlee, will you please come forward. attention to orders. the president of the united states of america, authorized by act of congress march 3rd, 1863, has nay the medal of honor staff sergeant earl d. plumlee for conspicuous gallantly beyond the call of duty. staff sergeant efrl d. plumblee distinguished himself by acts of gallantry beyond the call of duty 12013 while serves as a weapons sergeant afghan uniforming and suicide vests poured through the breach. they mounted two vehicles and raced toward the explosion. when his vehicle was engaged. he reacted instinctively to shield the driver prior to exiting the vehicle and engaging an enminute insurgent with his pistol. without cover and completion disregard for his own safety, he advanced on the enemy with only his pistol. upon reaches cover he killed two insurgents. using presis sniper fire. again, disregards his own safety, sergeant plumblee advanced alone, engaging several insurgents at close range, including one whose suicide vest exploded a mere seven meters from his position. he temporarily withdrew to cover, where he had joined up with another soldier. together they mounted another counter-attack. he then moved from cover to attack the enemy forces. of a previously wounded insurgent, who detonated his vest. sergeant plumblee quickly regained his faculties and reengaged the enemy forces. intense enemy fire forced them to withdraw, undetardy, sergeant plumblee, who moved from cover to once again counterattack. as the force advanced, sergeant plumblee engaged to his front left. and then swung around, who charged the group from the rear. the insurgent detonated the suicide vest. sergeant plumblee again, without complete disregard for his own safety, ran to the wounded soldier, carried him to saif and rendered first aid. he methodically cleared the area and continued for scan for any remains threats. staff sergeant earl d. plumlees devote to duty are keeping with the finest tradition of military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the special forces rental fend signed joseph r. biden, the president of the united states. [ applause ] please join me, most holy god, as we leave this ceremony, inspire us and lead tows greater acts of service. may we have the audacity to follow the examples of the soldiers we honored here today. bless the families as the names of these men are etched into the nation's proud history. may they mark the truest north for us to seek. finally, we pray you will give our leaders wisdom as we serve our nation and you will bless and protect the men and women of the armed forces. i ask these things in your most gracious and holy name. amen. ladies and gentlemen, please remain in your seats as the president and first lady, and vice president and second gentleman depart. oh, my gosh, what a powerful ceremony we have been watching. this medal of honor ceremony honoring just men of incredible valor and self-sacrifice and bravery. let's bring in oren lieberman along here with lieutenant general mark hertling. first, these stories of what the soldiers put themselves through, just the pain, the sacrifice, the bravery they went through. i know that some of these awards were back in action of 2005 and 2013. their families must be so relieved that -- >> this is a long time coming for two of these families. master sergeant earl plumblee, and, of course, sergeant first class alwyn cashe. there was a push by the families, by the men they served with and others to make these medal of honor awards. i don't want to go over the stories again. then as the awar himself was honored, but i had a chance to speak with both plumlee as well as the sister of cashe and wife of celiz. they are all incredible stories. master plumlee said he looked at awe with the earlier recipient. perhaps most impressive, he came back from deemployment. he will go back on deemployment in just a few weeks. for him it's a day in the office. i asked the sister of alwyn cashe, she said this was better than the lottery. she has waited for a long time. her brother had been on deployment before, and she had told him duck and come home. through tears she was able to tell me he didn't quite follow that assignment. he always took care of his men that first. that's why his name has also been etched into american his ir. for sergeant first-class christopher ceo liz, his wife said the same thing. she said, don't be a hero, come home. he said that was a promise he wasn't sure he could keep. when given a tremendous opportunity to save his men, even at the cost was his own life, he took that opportunity he put his own life at risk, his own life in the line of fire to make sure others could come home. that's why we watched the very powerful ceremony that concluded just moments ago. >> so powerful, they're just the best among us. general, what was your takeaway from listening to all of this. >> it's interesting. i want to reinforce what orrin just said. a lot of people ask the question, why do soldiers fight? they fight for each other. the fact that, as they read these citations, the citations don't really describe the action. sergeant cashe, it wasn't talked about during the citation, but as he went back and forth to the bradley fighting vehicle, and being a tanker, and having worked in armored warfare, i know the concern of any consumer is fire. when he went back and forth three different times with jet fuel that they put enside these vehicles to make sure they run correctly, it was so intense, the vehicle was burning so deeply, the second time he went back, he took all his clothes off. the description of hims just wearing his helmet, flack vest and boots is misthat comes in further in the description of his citation. you know, and the continued comments throughout his hospitalization at brook medical center, where they take all the burn patients. he repeatedly woke up and said, with 72% of his body burned, are my guys okay? that was his only interesting. when you talk about sergeant first-class celiz, a member of the first of the 75th ranger, a storied unit. the things he did to protect a helicopters taking away his fellow wounded soldiers, and he stays next to it to ensure the pilot wasn't shot, phenomenal. and plumlee basically diving into an attack where all the enemy were wearing suicide vests. you know, the surgeon, the selfless necessary. each individual placing themselves, while adhering to their oath, that's what happens in the military. by the way, while all three of them were soldiers in different types of organizations, master sergeant plumbleigh spent most of his career in the marine comps before transferring to special forpss in the army t i think we have to give the marines a bit of credit for training him to be the kind of soldier he is. >> general hertling, i always appreciate talking to about all of this. i know how emotional it is for you as well as all of us, and orrin, thank you for tell us more about their families. we appreciate both of you. now to other news. we now know more about the texts between sitting lawmakers and the white house around the january 6th insurrection. will the lawmakers face any consequences? the latest on the investigation, next. this is the sound of nature breathing. and this is the sound of better breathing. fasenra is a different kind of asthma medication. it's not a steroid or inhaler. fasenra is an add-on treatment for asthma driven by eosinophils. it's one maintenance dose every 8 weeks. it helps prevent asthma attacks, improve breathing, and lower use of oral steroids. nearly 7 out of 10 adults with asthma may have elevated eosinophils. fasenra is designed to target and remove them. fasenra is not a rescue medication or for other eosinophilic conditions. fasenra may cause allergic reactions. get help right away if you have swelling of your face, mouth, and tongue, or trouble breathing. don't stop your asthma treatments unless your doctor tells you to. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection or your asthma worsens. headache and sore throat may occur. this is the sound of fasenra. ask your doctor about fasenra. hello, for the last few years, i've been a little obsessed with chasing the big idaho potato truck. but it's not like that's my only interest. i also love cooking with heart-healthy, idaho potatoes. always look for the grown in idaho seal. nurse mariyam sabo knows a moment this pure... ...demands a lotion this pure. new gold bond pure moisture lotion. 24-hour hydration. no parabens, dyes, or fragrances. gold bond. champion your skin. off menu: when you watch a chef do it, they don't rush through this stage. why we drive: few of us will ever dive so deep into our cars, but those who do venture down into the nuts and bolts... the dollar rebellion: when you wake up and face a challenge, you have to give all of yourself when you do something, and that's when you do your best. the happiness lab: when was the last time you took a second to look up at the blue sky and the trees? ♪ for the best audio entertainment and storytelling. audible. and that's just basic wavy guy maintenance, right? next up, carvana. oh, boy. carvana just doesn't seem to understand how the test drive works. they give their customers seven days. and if they don't like it, they give 'em their money back. wait, they take the car back? that's crazy! what if it was driven by like a zookeeper? or a mud wrestler? or a guy who's on the outs with the missus and he just needs a place to sleep for seven days? yeah. (vo) buy your car online. love it or return it. with carvana. this is your home. this is your family room slash gym. the guest bedroom slash music studio. the daybed slash dog bed. the living room slash yoga shanti slash regional office slash classroom. and this is the basement slash panic room. maybe what your family needs is a vacation home slash vacation home. find yours on the vrbo app. ♪ we now know the identity of one of the lawmakers that was texts with mark meadows congressman jim jordan forwarded a text message to then chief of staff mark meadows, outlining a strategy for how to falsely claim victory in the 2020 election. ryan nobel is live for us on capitol hill. what did the text say? >> well, alisyn, we say a portion of this text read on monday night during the business meeting the select committee held. this text revealed a legal strategy that jim jordan forwarded on to mark meadows suggesting that vice president mike pence had the ability to decide which leele electors vot legally. it said mike opponents as president of the senate could call ought owl electoral votes he believes and no at all. that was the only portion read monday night. this is the rest of it. in accordance with guidance from founding father alexander hamilton and judicial precedent, no contrary to the constitution can be valid. there's some other legal cases that they cite. essentially the premise wall pence, all by himself, could stand in the way of the certification of the electoral votes. meadows received this text from jim jordan on january 5th, the day before the certification process took place. his office did confirm he forwarded that text, but they tried to make is seem as if jordan warrant endorsing this plan. this was a statement from his staff to us, that said, quote, mr. jordan forwarded the text to mr. meadows, and mr. meadow certainly knew it was a forward. but still he presented that information. a word document had more extensive theories about this questionable legal tactic. it shows the intense pressure campaign on vice president mike pence at the time that mark meadows was apparently a part of. joining us is alyssa farah-griffin, the former white house director of strategic communications under trump. ladies, agreed to see you. ahissa, i want to start with you. you texted mark meadows on that day, trying to get him to do the right thing, as so many people were, and just want to read your text to him. you guys have to say something, even if the president is not willing to put out a same, go and and, of course, alyssa pointed out that came true, sadly. did you hear back from mark meadows after that text? >> i did not hear back from mark meadows and actually haven't spoken to him since that text, but it echoes that fox news hosts were imploring him to have the president condemn this at all times. >> were you texting mark meadows that day, alyssa, because you thought he was with the president? were they in the same room when this was all unfolding? >> i wasn't aware if he was or wasn't. it was my hope that he could get the message or the counsel to president trump. i used the white house signal system to reach the president because i also hoped to counsel him as well. i just thought anyone who had a platform or a voice to condemn the violence while it was happening and to try to stop it had an obligation to do so. >> so, jen, now that we know from the committee that there were lawmakers that day who were communicating with mark meadows but not try to stop what was happening -- actually, the mark meadows text you read was the day before and it was basically a blueprint, he thought, for how to overturn the election results, and i just want to play for you something that congressman kinzinger who was on the committee now says his hunch is about some lawmakers, sitting lawmakers. listen to this. >> i certainly believe members of congress knew what was going to happen, some members knew. i certainly believe some members instigated this. >> if that turns out to be true, what are the consequences? legally, what are the consequences if they somehow had prior knowledge or were even in cahoots with some of the violent insurrectionists? >> there are a couple issues here. if they are found to have known about the possibility of violence to push those people to march through the capitol, that's a whole new ball game, right? in theory they could be charged with obstruction of congress -- >> who would charge them? >> the doj would have to charge them. >> that's the wrinkle here. we haven't seen a lot of appetite by the doj to actually look to the inner circle of trump. they charged 700 people but those were lower level people, so we'll see about that. >> the other thing is what they were doing was certainly an attempted coup. what these texts are about is the legal part of it. in other words, they're actually trying, within the processes set up to certify the voters, to stop that from happening. they won't be charged based on that. they would have to, instead, know about the illegal way to do the attack. >> are there legal underpinnings? what jim jordan forwarded onto mark meadows, is there something legitimate there? >> no, that memo was a piece of garbage. nobody with a passing acquaintance with the law, and jim jordan, as far as i can tell, i don't think he's a lawyer. i was told he went to law school but never passed the bar, sbut he's a lawmaker and could bypass the code. alexander hamilton at one point said something that is unquestionably true. an unconstitutional statute is no statute at all. that doesn't mean the memo says anything worthwhile. they give absolutely not a shred of evidence of how electors are selected. >> shoulded any of us be surprid that the day before the election jim jordan was trying to turn it over? >> the pressure was put on vice president pence to overturn the process, but also how far lawmakers were willing to go to find some other path of recourse. what i think will be interesting in the coming days is to find out which set of lawmakers sent the january 7 text which is the one that seems to indicate to me some sort of intent and involvement. it basically says he expresses disappointment that things hadn't gone the way they planned on january 6, meaning they couldn't overturn 86,000 votes for joe biden. whereas the jim jordan text is really sharing a conspiracy theory. i don't know that it necessarily shows involvement. >> any thoughts on that, jen? >> we know that sending the mob to the capitol to actually physically stop that from happening and thereby putting physical pressure on mike pence and others to just throw over the whole thing, that didn't work. that is a different ball game. you're still going to have to show that link of they knew it could happen, they were pushing for it to happen, but i also want to know who sent that text. >> what about president trump who did nothing, as far as we can tell thus far from the investigation while police officers were being maimed. will there be legal consequences? >> it depends on the department of justice. we just have not seen them be interested in investigating trump and his close allies on this. maybe they will. i think the select committee is trying to head toward a criminal referral for the actual -- not just the criminal contempt but the actual crime itself, but merrick garland doesn't seem to want to go there. if they were investigating this, alisyn, they would not let the select committee proceed the way that they have. they are stepping out of the way, and that to me says they really just don't want to do it. >> alyssa, as someone who was so close to this and who was trying to stop january 6 as it was happening, and who saw the inner workings as you did of the white house, now that some of this is coming to light, what are your thoughts? >> i think it's deeply disturbing. i worked with donald trump and agreed with about 75% of his policies, but the people around him thought they had the right to disenfranchise 80%-plus voters because they didn't get their way in the election is horrifying. i think we'll see repercussions to come of just questioning the democratic process at large. i worry, honestly, for midterms to see other smaller candidates try to emulate this if they don't win. it sets a terrible precedent, and many people around donald trump know he didn't actually win the election. they just decided they're going to stick around for the grit, they're going to continue to tell him what he wants to hear. many of the lawmakers as well. i'm just hoping people start being honest because this is a terrible path for our country to go down. >> alyssa griffin, jennifer, thank you. so the president and vice president plan to meet with the covid team on the omicron variant. we'll bring that to you. ♪ ♪ you are my fire ♪ ♪ the one desire ♪ ♪ you are, you are, ♪ ♪ don't wanna hear you say... ♪ ♪ ♪ i want it that way ♪ your record label is taking off. but so is your sound engineer. you need to hire. i need indeed. indeed you do. indeed instant match instantly delivers quality candidates matching your job description. visit indeed.com/hire it's my 4:05 the-show-must-go-on migraine medicine. it's ubrelvy. for anytime, anywhere migraine strikes, without worrying if it's too late, or where i am. one dose can quickly stop my migraine in its tracks within two hours. unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks cgrp protein, believed to be a cause of migraine. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. most common side effects were nausea and tiredness. ask about ubrelvy. the anytime, anywhere migraine medicine. lisa here, has had many jobs. and all that experience has led her to a job that feels like home. with home instead, you too can become a caregiver to older adults. apply today. ♪ limu emu... & doug ♪ ♪ superpowers from a spider bite? i could use some help showing the world how liberty mutual customizes their car insurance so they only pay for what they need. (gasps) ♪ did it work? only pay for what you need ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ spider-man no way home in theaters december 17th xfinity rewards are our way of thanking you just for being with us. enjoy rewards like sing family fun nights! rent sing for $1, then belt out all your favorite tunes from the movie with sing karaoke. plus, see sing 2 in theaters with buy-one-get-one free fandango tickets. join over a million members by signing up for free on the xfinity app. our thanks. your rewards.